Growing Up
by superbella07
Summary: You and the Winchester boys have known each other for a long time. This fic follows the path of friendship, love, trust, change and self-discovery when the brothers come to stay. in this fic, you are Bobby's adopted daughter and are a year younger than Sam and five years younger than Dean. Reader insert that follows into the series.
1. MAY 1997

You had known the Winchesters for a long time, you might even say too long. You had practically grown up together. You were basically Bobby's daughter and John would regularly ditch the brothers to go off and hunt. You were the youngest, just nearly a year younger than Sam.

You and the brothers shared countless memories together when they came to stay, often during the school year so that they could have a less choppy education.

You often remembered Dean staying home most days, much to the disappoint of Bobby. He had raised you to gain knowledge with every opportunity, and you shared this trait with Sam. This was shown in the stacks of books found all over the house.

Looking back you realized your naivety despite your intelligence. So here you are, going down the rabbit hole.

-May 1997-

Dean-18

Sam-14

You-13

The car rolled up outside the house. It was like an alarm, triggering the childlike glee only held in youths. The clattering of dishes echoing from the kitchen warned you of Bobby's distraught. No matter how much he loved the boys, he hated the way John acted as a father. You were young, innocent, you still don't know what provoked Bobby into the stiff disposition he held whenever they stopped by. You were always glad to have playmates, no matter the circumstance, but Bobby got rather cold when they stopped by.

Maybe it was the bruises on Dean's arm, maybe it was the way Sam clung to Dean's arm when they walked inside, the desperation to hug Bobby. These were all things you recognized in later years when you were all older. The boys explained it as the side effects of getting into hunting so young, being antsy and hurt, but you thought different.

This time was like many times before. They would scurry from the car, laden with all their things, while the car sped away.

It had been a long time since you last saw them. Dean had gotten taller in the two years since you last saw them, Sam as well. They looked more worn, despite their youth. You were just as chipper as ever though, filled with joy and affection. You lit up every room you entered and you and the boys got on like a house on fire.

This year was different. Dean was older, didn't want to have to share a room with Sam, and instead got his own, forcing you and Sam to share. But it's not like you minded, you were content staying up until past midnight exchanging books and stories with Sam. For a while there you almost wished for the Winchesters to arrive so that you could see him. But as the time past on, and the years slipped past you almost forgot.

That night for dinner it was the classic 'whatever you can find in the freezer' plus whatever pie was left at the diner in town. You sat two to a side, across from bobby and next to Sam. The conversation was kept light, it was the first day after such a long time. Bobby praised Dean's growth spurt while Dean fended him off by shoving more and more food into his mouth.

The night dragged on, with the four of you watching a cheesy action flix on the small boxy tv. Later transitioning into Dean and Bobby drinking in the kitchen while you and Sammy wandered the scrapyard.

He shoved his hands into the bulky pockets in his oversized sweatshirt. The night was chilly despite it being mid may and you were regretting not grabbing a jacket.

You always felt a peace with Sam. Maybe it was the large gap between you and Dean, him being five years older and all. Maybe it was that in your younger years you were basically raised together. John had seemed to believe that Bobby could care for a toddler better and often just took Dean along. Maybe that was why Bobby was pissed, he never got to be a father and yet here he was, taking care of all these children.

"So, what's new." Sam asked out of the blue.

"Nothing much." You wandered, gazing solemnly up at the star-filled sky. In reality, everything had happened. You had cut your hair, you bought new clothes, you became interested in astronomy. All small things, but in the long run, things that pushed you forward.

'"It's been a while, something must different." Sam was as stubborn as ever. He would never let up until you went over it day by day. So you deflected more.

"Like I said, nothing much. What about you, you're different."

"In what way?"

"Well, you're taller." You pulled your gaze from the sky and settled it on his eyes.

"That's it?"

"Yes." You murmured in return.

A silence stretched on and you found yourself wandering in a world created in your mind. A world where the supernatural did not exist, a world were you and Sam were just friends, not people who were so close yet so far apart. You were only thirteen and yet you wanted the world, and Sam would do anything to give it to you.

One thing you noticed in the moment and looking back was that Dean never went to school, and if he did it was because he was forced. He would spend those days hanging out at the crappy middle school you and Sam went to. He would drop in to make sure we were getting on fine.

You had hated Dean growing up. He was older and tended to rub it in your face. But he grew out of it as the years passed. When you entered high school he called to make sure you were fine, same as he did with Sam. He was the big brother you never knew you wanted.

As the years drifted on and you got older you became closer. He became less of a father figure and more of a friend. As long as you ignored his flirting you got along just fine.

In the spring of 1997, he was as cocky as ever. He spent his time helping Bobby fix up an old car or teasing you and Sam.

As you and Dean drifted in and out of focus you and Sam drew closer and closer together.

You showed him your favourite places. The quiet corner of the junkyard, or a particular row of books in the library. You swapped secrets along with homework. You walked to and from school together, and you were inseparable by the late of June.

But then the car pulled up again, the engine making the sweet sound you grew to love, now filling you with sadness. You knew it would not last forever, and yet you hoped it would. The summer must start, and that's when they'd go.


	2. AUGUST 1999

-August, 1999-

Dean-20

Sam-16

You-14/15

The days ticked on by. He promised, but how could he have kept it. John would never listen, never allow it. But you wished and hoped that you could see him again. It's been too long.

His old phone number was saved; written on a sticky note you stuck to the wall above your desk. It had been cancelled over a year ago but still, you kept it.

Bobby hasn't seemed to notice. He had briefly mentioned that they wouldn't be coming, but that was last winter, it's been over twelve months since.

So when they arrived you were beyond happy. The familiar sound of the 67 Chevy Impala flowing through your window, drawing back out the childlike glee.

You raced down the stairs, despite Bobby's protests. You were on a mission and nothing could stop you.

Instead of sprinting to the door you flopped onto the couch and made yourself comfortable.

The breeze ruffled your hair as the door opened casting a glowing light across the floor, prominently displaying the two tall shadows of the Winchester men.

Bags in hand, they graciously accepted Bobby's invitation to come in. You turned around and leaned over the back of the sofa pleasingly shocked at the brothers. They had grown.

Sam was now pushing six feet and Dean was already past it. Not to mention they were cute. Sure Dean was five years older but damn.

You remember bringing this up later in life and hearing their thoughts in that moment. They seemed to have forgotten that moment that you remember so vividly now. That was probably the moment that it dawned on you how screwed you were no matter where life took you.

You were fifteen then. You made dinner every night and bought your own clothes. You thought you had grown up, you thought you were a grown up. You got a job at the coffee shop in town and was saving up for college already.

But the moment they walked through that door you realized your true destiny. All the lessons from Bobby about lore and guns. The constant tests of your strength and independence. He wanted you to become a hunter, to go with the Winchester's.

And in that moment you thought that was the best decision. In the long run, it evened out. The pros and cons balanced and you were left wondering what fifteen years old you was thinking. Was it really for the best?

Over the years you slowly lost interest in school. You had a couple friends and good teachers but that spark wasn't there. Than Sam barged in, full of theories and the answers to all your homework. He spent lunch with you and resumed walking with you. You no longer had to deal with Dean being overprotective and school quickly became an escape from the stuffyness you felt at home.

Bobby tried so hard to be a good father, you knew that. He made sure you a good education, ate well, and kept you far away from hunting. But that changed when you turned 14. He saw you as old enough to fight, to train.

It started out slow, some basic combat and lore. Then it was guns and knives. You now knew how to disassemble and load a gun in seconds.

At the time it made you feel different, it pushed you away from your friends. You went home directly after school and trained. That's what you were doing when he walked in.

You were to busy attacking a punching bag in the corner, music blaring from your headphones.

"Hey, sweetheart." His naturally flirty voice pierced through the music, startling you as you grasped into the bag for support. You turned around to face the source of the voice.

"Dean? What are you doing down here?"

"I'm going out to pick up food for dinner. Since you ya know make it, maybe you want to come with?"

"Um, sure. Let me just grab a jacket." What did he want, you were sure he was going to spring something on you during the drive. Maybe he was going to try and get you and Sam together, he was constantly teasing you about it. Oh please no.

"K, meet you outside."

And with that, the conversation was over. The silence crept back into the room when his steps faded away.

The drive was slow and long, the closest large grocery store is in the next town over and with Dean next to you and the lack of conversation, it felt longer. So you focused on the world whizzing past the window and the rock music thumping out of the speakers.

When inside you wandered lazily up and down the isles. Dean casually flirts with an employee as you shop. The squeaky cart slowly filling up fits beer, pie and lots of protein.

You end up in the produce section, long since ditched Dean and his need for beef jerky.

It feels nice to be out of the house. You had settled into a routine. The same schedule every weekday, only to change slightly over the weekend. It had become exhausting being around all the testosterone all the time.

You were so lost in your own serenity that you forgot about the world around you. You jumped back to reality after crashing into another cart. In a split second the automated response kick d in.

"I'm so sorry." You quipped not even looking up.

"Don't be."

You looked up, your mind now back to being in control.

You felt a blush creeping up to your cheeks. Boy he was cute. Who knew that ramming into someone would end up with this specimen on the other side.

"Um, are you okay, I'm sorry I was pretty out of it." You stammered.

"I'm fine, really. I needed a good snap back to reality as well."

"Well I guess it's a good thing then."

"I guess." The silence crept back in as well as awkwardness.

"Hey, kiddo." A voice yelled from behind.

You whipped around at the touch of a hand on your shoulder. Dean.

"Dean, you startled me. A little warning, I almost judo flipped you!"

"Wow woh, calm down sweetheart. Who's your friend here." He said featuring to the cute boy on the other side of your cart.

"Um…" You stretched in, not actually knowing his name.

"Miles." He answered for you, noticeably confused.

"Ya, miles".

"Well, miles, I'm sorry but me and the little lady gotta go." The boy was speech less as Dean grabbed onto the handle of the cart and pushed it towards the checkout.

"Well I'd better go then."

Stupid Dean, ruining everything, interrupting the perfect moment, what was he even doing in the produce section anyway? Ughhhh, you hated how he treated you like he did Sam, like a younger sibling he can push around.

When you were unloading the food was when he spoke again.

"Oh don't get your panties all in a twist, you can do so much better sweetheart."

Oh that was it. Why did he have to be so cocky and arrogant?

"Why? Are you jealous Dean?" You smirked, attempting to set up a last defence.

He just chuckled softly to himself before replying coolly.

"Oh darling. Don't tempt me." Before opening the car door and slamming it behind him, leaving you standing in the parking lot speechless.


	3. DECEMBER 1999

-December 1999-

Dean-20

Sam- 16

You-15

"What's the quadratic formula again?"

"It's at the front of your book, I wrote it down the last time you

asked."

"Right. Thanks, Sam."

"What's up, you seem out of it today."

"I'm fine. It just almost the end of school."

"Shouldn't you be happy then, it's almost Christmas break."

"It's not that."

"Than what is it?"

"It's just a bad time, ok."

"Well, I'm here to talk if you need it."

Oh Sam, sweet innocent Sam. If only he knew. If only he knew that that was the time that your life crumbled down around you. The time you saw him murder his own wife. The time you cried yourself to sleep every night. if only you could tell him.

December was a time of misery for you and Bobby. He had saved you from your zombie parents before having to kill his own wife. Christmas at the salvage yard was anything but cheery.

All you wanted to do was lay low and let the time slip through your fingers. If you could skip December all together you would in an instant.

As it happened most hunters weren't big on holidays and Christmas past briefly with a small exchange of presents and wishes of cheer.

New Years was a whole other matter. Just like fourth of July, Sam and Dean went big. Dean saved up his money and together they went and bought fireworks to set off late at night.

They begged you to join them and so, and half-past 11 you snuck through the woods towards a clearing you knew well. You giggled and ran clutching onto the bag containing pie and other sweets.

Once they were all set up correctly, you sprawled out on the grass. You lay gazing up at the sky. The stars drifting in and out of focus. You thought back to almost three years ago, under these same stars with Sam, wondering about the universe and how your life became your life. What things triggered all this. Was that night 10 years ago, or was it beyond that.

As you lay wondering on the long grass, the brothers prepared for the big finale. This was a long-lasting tradition that continued on far past adolescence. Years worth of memories were made under the moonlight, waiting for the clock to strike twelve.

You checked your watch aimlessly, as you had done just minutes before.

11:54.

It was almost 2000, you were going to live through the change of the century. You felt odd thinking that things would change, and yet nothing ever did. You feel the same both years. It was night than it was day, it was one year then the next in an instant. It was that now it's this, but what actually changes.

The minutes just kept counting by until Dean shouted to Sam that it was time. you stood up and stood back as they started.

Sam stood next to you as the brilliant colours danced before your eyes. You glanced over at him and you could see the light reflected in his eyes.

He draped his arm over your shoulder, pulling you in against his chest. Your heart quickened as he warmed you up. It felt so nice to be in that moment, standing between Sam and Dean, the place you grew to love being.

You felt Sam's gaze on you as you stared up at the exploding colours. You gently turned to face him, taking in this handsome features under the dancing light.

Your eye lines connected and slowly they closed in. His head gently drops down to meet yours. You push up on your toes to meet him at the last centimetre.

One second he's hovering over you, the next his lips brushed yours and the world seemed to disappear.

But you nearly had time to kiss back before he pulled away. You sighed softly at the lost of contact, and your eyes met again as you open them. He was blushing, you could tell even in the darkness.

The moment was ruined the second Dean spoke.

"Finally, I thought it would never happen. Good going, Sammy."

He turned to walk back, passing by Sam and clapping g him sharply on the back.

You giggled as Sam looked embarrassed and he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. He was looking down at the ground when you grabbed his free hand.

You clasped it in yours and whispered softly.

"Don't let him get to you. I liked it, Sammy."

You said the word mockingly as you pulled on his hand, turning to leave. He followed you as you lead the way back to the house, the fireworks still dancing in the sky.

You thought about that moment a lot over the next month. The loud boom of fireworks and the teasing grin from Dean. The taste of his soft lips, if only for a second. His beautiful eyes lit up and the darkness clinging to the shadows of his face.

You were sure Sam thought about it too. The two of you became closer and closer over the next month and a half. He held your hand and kissed you outside his locker. But it never became more. You acted normal at home and Dean stopped with the teasing.

As the days got longer and the nights shorter you became restless. Without Sam sleeping in the same room this year it had already been tough. He was a comfort, a warm glow in the darkest nights. And even though he showed affection, I didn't feel right. He was acting as though it was a fling, not something to last forever.

This was the opposite of how he acted when he was older. He became more clingy and protective. He had grown up, becoming more than that soft-spoken teenager. In later years he loved with a passion, not with adolescent urges.


	4. FEBRUARY 2000

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	5. SEPTEMBER 2001

September 2000  
Dean-21  
Sam-17  
You-16  
They showed up the night before the first day of school.  
Unlike all the years before you begged for them not to pull up in the sleek black car. You prayed that their handsome forms wouldn't creak up the old stairs and knock on the door. You wished against all hope that you didn't need to see their dashing smiles and dazzling eyes. God, why did they have to be like this, why did this year have to happen? You just wanted to skip to the good part. The part where you had your life settled and your biggest problem wasn't a pair of brothers with insanely good looks.  
You were the one who opened the door and saw them first, you to revealed Sam's dimpled smile and Dean's plain to see the disappointment of being ditched by his father.  
As Dean got older he got madder and madder that had to go stay at Bobby's. He thought himself old enough to not have to be treated as a child. Although John was a bad father, he knew how to protect his own. And you didn't blame him, he was protective and thought that pushing them away and trying to give them space would help. If anything it just made them crave it even more. All Dean wanted was to hunt, and Sam just followed his brother's lead.  
This was reflected in what happened in later years, Sam going to Stanford. Dean pushed him the last inch. The pushing never stuck, no matter how strong the push.  
You looked up at the two men in front of you and you suddenly felt self-conscious. You were wearing appropriate pyjamas for the temperature, shorts and a baggy shirt, but you felt exposed. You crossed your arms in front of your chest and welcomed them in. if the noticed or cared, they didn't show it.  
The first week was dreadful. It was filled with tight-lipped smiles and awkward run-ins late at night.  
Bobby was constantly muttering 'Idgits' under his breath when a particularly tense moment presented itself.  
You spent most of your time in your room, hoping against all hope that whoever knocked wasn't Sam. The first couple times it wasn't, just Bobby reminding you to do your chores or that dinner was ready. One time it had been Dean asking if you wanted to go shopping with him again. Needless to say, you turned down his offer.  
This time, however, it was Sam, someone you had been dreading talking too and someone you had somehow avoided for the first week. Dinner was the worst part, he sat next to you and carried on as if nothing had happened. As it turned out that was just the Winchester way, don't acknowledge it and it never happened. You believed that he didn't care, that he hated you.  
The knock on the door startled you and forced you to leave the bed had been occupying for the last hour.  
You gently opened the door and instantly regretted it. His puppy dog eyes entered your vision. for a brief second you were under there spell, then he spoke. You went to close the door, cursing yourself for not asking who it was. but he was stronger than you and pushed against it.  
"Leave me alone" You begged. The desperation in his voice made his heart sink. He felt terrible for making you feel this way, all he wanted to do was make it right, for once.  
He blocked the door with his foot and begged you to open it more.  
"Please, I just came to apologize. I don't know if I would see you again, I wanted you to be alright." He leaned against the door, his voice soft.  
"Well, you did the opposite." You yelled into your room as you leaned against the door, bewildered by Sams persistence and strength. He wasn't letting up.  
"Come on, please just listen."  
"Just go." You craved his warmth and comfort. Your body was urging your brain to just give in. Just open the door.  
You gently slid down the door, exhausted and sick of fighting the fatigue. A silent tear slipped down your cheek and you gently wiped it away.  
'Don't cry, you're stronger than that. You're not a damsel in distress you don't need a night in shining armour. You could handle it just fine by yourself.' You told yourself silently.  
Sam slid down on the other side of the door, cursing himself for making you feel like this, terrible and heartbroken. Slowly the two of you fell asleep on opposite sides of the door. Separated only by the few inches of wood, but also by emotions.  
This was where Dean found him the next morning, curled up at your door, deeply asleep.  
Slowly your relationship repaired itself. Maybe it was the morning where you made pancakes together early in the morning. Maybe it was the walks to and from school, where you became sick of the silence. Maybe it was the feelings that never seemed to leave, and never did.  
Then in an instant, the months had past and you grew closer, though not as close as before. You hadn't kissed or shared any intimate moments, Sam seemed to want to keep it that way.  
As you became closer secrets got out. Not the innocent secrets shared all those years ago, but heart crushing secrets, ones you wished everyone would understand, but also ones you wanted to keep forever locked away.  
You told him about how your parents died, the horrible tragedy that brought down your whole life in a matter of hours. But you also told him of how Bobby had saved you, and how you had both helped each other make it out of the loss and misery together.  
He told you if his plans for the future. How he was going to apply for college, how he'd move away and leave his family. The guilt he felt and how he tried to convince himself that it was a good decision. He was terrified of Dean and John's reaction and you knew it.  
You were the one that supported Sam going to Stanford. You congratulated him and helped him find a job near the campus. You pushed him to leave and helped him pack. You kept in touch and wished him the best in his endeavour.


End file.
